Europeans came to de Dewaware Vawwey in de earwy 17f century, wif de first settwements founded by de Dutch, who in 1623 buiwt Fort Nassau on de Dewaware River opposite de Schuywkiww River in what is now Brookwawn, New Jersey. The Dutch considered de entire Dewaware River vawwey to be part of deir New Nederwand cowony. In 1638, Swedish settwers wed by renegade Dutch estabwished de cowony of New Sweden at Fort Christina (present-day Wiwmington, Dewaware) and qwickwy spread out in de vawwey. In 1644, New Sweden supported de Susqwehannocks in deir miwitary defeat of de Engwish cowony of Marywand. In 1648, de Dutch buiwt Fort Beversreede on de west bank of de Dewaware, souf of de Schuywkiww near de present-day Eastwick neighborhood, to reassert deir dominion over de area. The Swedes responded by buiwding Fort Nya Korshowm, or New Korshowm, named after a town in Finwand wif a Swedish majority. In 1655, a Dutch miwitary campaign wed by New Nederwand Director-Generaw Peter Stuyvesant took controw of de Swedish cowony, ending its cwaim to independence. The Swedish and Finnish settwers continued to have deir own miwitia, rewigion, and court, and to enjoy substantiaw autonomy under de Dutch. The Engwish conqwered de New Nederwand cowony in 1664, dough de situation did not change substantiawwy untiw 1682 when de area was incwuded in Wiwwiam Penn's charter for Pennsywvania.

In 1681, in partiaw repayment of a debt, Charwes II of Engwand granted Penn a charter for what wouwd become de Pennsywvania cowony. Despite de royaw charter, Penn bought de wand from de wocaw Lenape to be on good terms wif de Native Americans and ensure peace for his cowony.[34] Penn made a treaty of friendship wif Lenape chief Tammany under an ewm tree at Shackamaxon, in what is now de city's Fishtown neighborhood.[35]
Penn named de city Phiwadewphia, which is Greek for "broderwy wove," derived from de Ancient Greek terms φίλοςphíwos (bewoved, dear) and ἀδελφόςadewphós (broder, broderwy). As a Quaker, Penn had experienced rewigious persecution and wanted his cowony to be a pwace where anyone couwd worship freewy. This towerance, far more dan afforded by most oder cowonies, wed to better rewations wif de wocaw native tribes and fostered Phiwadewphia's rapid growf into America's most important city.[36]

Penn pwanned a city on de Dewaware River to serve as a port and pwace for government. Hoping dat Phiwadewphia wouwd become more wike an Engwish ruraw town instead of a city, Penn waid out roads on a grid pwan to keep houses and businesses spread far apart, wif areas for gardens and orchards. The city's inhabitants did not fowwow Penn's pwans, however, as dey crowded by de Dewaware River port, and subdivided and resowd deir wots.[37] Before Penn weft Phiwadewphia for de wast time, he issued de Charter of 1701 estabwishing it as a city. Though poor at first, de city became an important trading center wif towerabwe wiving conditions by de 1750s. Benjamin Frankwin, a weading citizen, hewped improve city services and founded new ones, such as fire protection, a wibrary, and one of de American cowonies' first hospitaws.

A number of phiwosophicaw societies were formed, which were centers of de city's intewwectuaw wife: de Phiwadewphia Society for Promoting Agricuwture (1785), de Pennsywvania Society for de Encouragement of Manufactures and de Usefuw Arts (1787), de Academy of Naturaw Sciences (1812), and de Frankwin Institute (1824).[38] These societies devewoped and financed new industries, attracting skiwwed and knowwedgeabwe immigrants from Europe.

Phiwadewphia served as de temporary capitaw of de United States whiwe de new capitaw was under construction in de District of Cowumbia from 1790 to 1800.[42] In 1793, de wargest yewwow fever epidemic in U.S. history kiwwed approximatewy 4,000 to 5,000 peopwe in Phiwadewphia, or about 10% of de city's popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[43][44]

The state capitaw was moved to Lancaster in 1799, den Harrisburg in 1812, whiwe de federaw government was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon compwetion of de White House and U.S. Capitow buiwding. The city remained de young nation's wargest untiw de wate 18f century, being bof a financiaw and a cuwturaw center for America. In 1816, de city's free bwack community founded de African Medodist Episcopaw Church (AME), de first independent bwack denomination in de country, and de first bwack Episcopaw Church. The free bwack community awso estabwished many schoows for its chiwdren, wif de hewp of Quakers. New York City surpassed Phiwadewphia in popuwation by 1790. Large-scawe construction projects for new roads, canaws, and raiwroads made Phiwadewphia de first major industriaw city in de United States.

Phiwadewphia was represented by de Washington Grays in de American Civiw War. The African-American popuwation of Phiwadewphia increased from 31,699 to 219,559 between 1880 and 1930.[49][50] Twentief-century bwack newcomers were part of de Great Migration out of de ruraw souf to nordern and midwestern industriaw cities.

By de 20f century, Phiwadewphia had an entrenched Repubwicanpowiticaw machine and a compwacent popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[52] The first major reform came in 1917 when outrage over de ewection-year murder of a powice officer wed to de shrinking of de City Counciw from two houses to just one.[53] In Juwy 1919, Phiwadewphia was one of more dan 36 industriaw cities nationawwy to suffer a race riot of ednic whites against bwacks during Red Summer, in post-Worwd War I unrest, as recent immigrants competed wif bwacks for jobs. In de 1920s, de pubwic fwouting of Prohibition waws, organized crime, mob viowence, and powice invowvement in iwwegaw activities wed to de appointment of Brig. Gen, uh-hah-hah-hah.Smedwey Butwer of de U.S. Marine Corps as director of pubwic safety, but powiticaw pressure prevented any wong-term success in fighting crime and corruption, uh-hah-hah-hah.[54]

In 1940, non-Hispanic whites constituted 86.8% of de city's popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[55] The popuwation peaked at more dan two miwwion residents in 1950, den began to decwine wif de restructuring of industry, which wed to de woss of many middwe-cwass union jobs. In addition, suburbanization had enticed many of de more affwuent residents to outwying raiwroad commuting towns and newer housing. The resuwting reduction in Phiwadewphia's tax base and de resources of wocaw government caused de city to struggwe drough a wong period of adjustment, wif it approaching bankruptcy by de wate 1980s.[56][57]

Revitawization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in de wate 1970s and continues into de 21st century, wif much of de devewopment occurring in de Center City and University City neighborhoods. After many of de owd manufacturers and businesses weft Phiwadewphia or shut down, de city started attracting service businesses and began to market itsewf more aggressivewy as a tourist destination, uh-hah-hah-hah. Contemporary gwass-and-granite skyscrapers were buiwt in Center City beginning in de 1980s. Historic areas such as Owd City and Society Hiww were renovated during de reformist mayoraw era of de 1950s drough de 1980s, making dose areas among de most desirabwe neighborhoods in Center City. These devewopments have begun a reversaw of de city's popuwation decwine between 1950 and 2000 during which it wost about one-qwarter of its residents.[58][59] The city eventuawwy began experiencing a growf in its popuwation in 2007, which has continued wif graduaw yearwy increases to de present.[60][6]

The wowest point is sea wevew, whiwe de highest point is in Chestnut Hiww, about 446 feet (136 m) above sea wevew on Summit Street near de intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bedwehem Pike (exampwe coordinates near high point: 40.07815 N, 75.20747 W).[62][63]

City pwanning

A Portraiture of de City of Phiwadewphia, by Thomas Howme – de first map of Phiwadewphia, ca. 1683

Phiwadewphia's centraw city was created in de 17f century fowwowing de pwan by Wiwwiam Penn's surveyor Thomas Howme. Center City is structured wif wong straight streets running nearwy due east-west and norf-souf, forming a grid pattern between de Dewaware and Schuywkiww rivers dat is awigned wif deir courses. The originaw city pwan was designed to awwow for easy travew and to keep residences separated by open space dat wouwd hewp prevent de spread of fire.[66] Penn pwanned de creation of five pubwic parks in de city which were renamed in 1824[66] (new names in parendeses): Centre Sqware (Penn Sqware),[67] Nordeast Sqware (Frankwin Sqware), Soudeast Sqware (Washington Sqware), Soudwest Sqware (Rittenhouse Sqware), and Nordwest Sqware (Logan Circwe/Sqware).[68] Center City had an estimated 183,240 residents as of 2015[update], making it de second-most popuwated downtown area in de United States, after Midtown Manhattan in New York City.[69]

The City Pwanning Commission, tasked wif guiding growf and devewopment of de city, has divided de city into 18 pwanning districts as part of de Phiwadewphia2035 physicaw devewopment pwan, uh-hah-hah-hah.[71][72] Much of de city's 1980 zoning code was overhauwed from 2007 to 2012 as part of a joint effort between former mayors John F. Street and Michaew Nutter. The zoning changes were intended to rectify incorrect zoning maps in order to faciwitate future community devewopment, as de city forecasts an additionaw 100,000 residents and 40,000 jobs wiww be added by 2035.

The Phiwadewphia Housing Audority is de wargest wandword in Pennsywvania. Estabwished in 1937, it is de nation's fourf-wargest housing audority, housing about 84,000 peopwe and empwoying 1,250. In 2013, its budget was $371 miwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[73] The Phiwadewphia Parking Audority works to ensure adeqwate parking for city residents, businesses and visitors.[74]

For much of Phiwadewphia's history, de typicaw home has been de row house. The row house was introduced to de United States via Phiwadewphia in de earwy 19f century and, for a time, row houses buiwt ewsewhere in de United States were known as "Phiwadewphia rows".[75] A variety of row houses are found droughout de city, from Federaw-stywe continuous bwocks in Owd City and Society Hiww to Victorian-stywe homes in Norf Phiwadewphia to twin row houses in West Phiwadewphia. Whiwe newer homes have been buiwt recentwy, much of de housing dates to de 18f, 19f and earwy 20f centuries, which has created probwems such as urban decay and vacant wots. Some neighborhoods, incwuding Nordern Liberties and Society Hiww, have been rehabiwitated drough gentrification.[77][78]

Snowfaww is highwy variabwe wif some winters having onwy wight snow whiwe oders incwude major snowstorms. The normaw seasonaw snowfaww averages 22.4 in (57 cm), wif rare snowfawws in November or Apriw, and rarewy any sustained snow cover.[83] Seasonaw snowfaww accumuwation has ranged from trace amounts in 1972–73 to 78.7 inches (200 cm) in de winter of 2009–10.[83][b] The city's heaviest singwe-storm snowfaww was 30.7 in (78 cm) which occurred in January 1996.[84]

Precipitation is generawwy spread droughout de year, wif eight to eweven wet days per monf,[85] at an average annuaw rate of 41.5 inches (1,050 mm), but historicawwy ranging from 29.31 in (744 mm) in 1922 to 64.33 in (1,634 mm) in 2011.[83] The most rain recorded in one day occurred on Juwy 28, 2013 when 8.02 in (204 mm) feww at Phiwadewphia Internationaw Airport.[83] Phiwadewphia has a moderatewy sunny cwimate wif an average of 2,500 hours of sunshine annuawwy, and a percentage of sunshine ranging from 47% in December to 61% in June, Juwy, and August.[86]

The January daiwy average temperature is 33.0 °F (0.6 °C),[87] dough de temperature freqwentwy rises to 50 °F (10 °C) during daws and dips to 10 °F (−12 °C) for 2 or 3 nights in a normaw winter.[87] Juwy averages 78.1 °F (25.6 °C),[87] awdough heat waves accompanied by high humidity and heat indices are freqwent, wif highs reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on 27 days of de year. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 6 dru Apriw 2,[83] awwowing a growing season of 217 days. Earwy faww and wate winter are generawwy dry wif February having de wowest average precipitation at 2.64 inches (67 mm). The dewpoint in de summer averages between 59.1 °F (15 °C) and 64.5 °F (18 °C).[83]

The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918, but temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) are not common, uh-hah-hah-hah.[88][c] The wowest officiawwy recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934.[88] Temperatures at or bewow 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare wif de wast such occurrence being January 19, 1994.[83] The record wow maximum is 5 °F (−15 °C) on February 10, 1899, and December 30, 1880, whiwe de record high minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on Juwy 23, 2011, and Juwy 24, 2010.

Air qwawity

Phiwadewphia County received an ozone grade of F and a 24-hour particwe powwution rating of D in de American Lung Association's 2017 State of de Air report, which anawyzed data from 2013–15.[91][92] The city was ranked 22nd for ozone, 20f for short-term particwe powwution, and 11f for year-round particwe powwution, uh-hah-hah-hah.[93] According to de same report, de city experienced a significant reduction in high ozone days since 2001—from nearwy 50 days per year to fewer dan 10—awong wif fewer days of high particwe powwution since 2000—from about 19 days per year to about 3—and an approximate 30% reduction in annuaw wevews of particwe powwution since 2000.[92] Five of de ten wargest combined statisticaw areas (CSAs) were ranked higher for ozone: Los Angewes (1st), New York City (9f), Houston (12f), Dawwas (13f), and San Jose (18f). Many smawwer CSAs were awso ranked higher for ozone incwuding Sacramento (8f), Las Vegas (10f), Denver (11f), Ew Paso (16f), and Sawt Lake City (20f); however, onwy two of dose same ten CSAs—San Jose and Los Angewes—were ranked higher dan Phiwadewphia for bof year-round and short-term particwe powwution, uh-hah-hah-hah.[93]

Popuwations for City of Phiwadewphia, not for Phiwadewphia County. Popuwation for Phiwadewphia County was 54,388 (incwuding 42,520 urban) in 1790; 81,009 (incwuding 69,403 urban) in 1800; 111,210 (incwuding 91,874 urban) in 1810; 137,097 (incwuding 112,772 urban) in 1820; 188,797 (incwuding 161,410 urban) in 1830; 258,037 (incwuding 220,423 urban) in 1840; and 408,762 (incwuding 340,045 urban) in 1850. Under Act of Consowidation, 1854, City of Phiwadewphia absorbed de various districts, boroughs, townships, oder suburbs, and remaining ruraw area in Phiwadewphia County as de consowidated City and County of Phiwadewphia.Source: [6][94][95][96][97][98]

According to de 2017 United States Census Bureau estimate, dere were 1,580,863 peopwe residing in Phiwadewphia, representing a 3.6% increase from de 2010 census.[6] After de 1950 Census, when a record high of 2,071,605 was recorded, de city's popuwation began a wong decwine. The popuwation dropped to a wow of 1,488,710 residents in 2006 before beginning to rise again, uh-hah-hah-hah. Between 2006 and 2017, Phiwadewphia added 92,153 residents. In 2017, de Census Bureau estimated dat de raciaw composition of de city was 41.3% Bwack (non-Hispanic), 34.9% White (non-Hispanic), 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 0.4% Native Americans, 0.05% Pacific Iswanders, and 2.8% muwtiraciaw.[99]

The estimated average popuwation density was 11,782 peopwe per sqware miwe (4,549/km²) in 2017. In 2010, de Census Bureau reported dat 1,468,623 peopwe (96.2% of de popuwation) wived in househowds, 38,007 (2.5%) wived in non-institutionawized group qwarters, and 19,376 (1.3%) were institutionawized.[100] In 2013, de city reported having 668,247 totaw housing units, down swightwy from 670,171 housing units in 2010. As of 2013[update], 87 percent of housing units were occupied, whiwe 13 percent were vacant, a swight change from 2010 where 89.5 percent of units were occupied, or 599,736 and 10.5 percent were vacant, or 70,435.[100][104] Of de city's residents, 32 percent reported having no vehicwes avaiwabwe whiwe 23 percent had two or more vehicwes avaiwabwe, as of 2013[update].[104]

In 2010, 24.9 percent of househowds reported having chiwdren under de age of 18 wiving wif dem, 28.3 percent were married coupwes wiving togeder and 22.5 percent had a femawe househowder wif no husband present, 6.0 percent had a mawe househowder wif no wife present, and 43.2 percent were non-famiwies. The city reported 34.1 percent of aww househowds were individuaws wiving awone, whiwe 10.5 percent had someone wiving awone who was 65 years of age or owder. The average househowd size was 2.45 and de average famiwy size was 3.20.[100] In 2013, de percentage of women who gave birf in de previous 12 monds who were unmarried was 56 percent. Of Phiwadewphia's aduwts, 31 percent were married or wived as a coupwe, 55 percent were not married, 11 percent were divorced or separated, and 3 percent were widowed.[104]

According to de Census Bureau, de median househowd income in 2013 was $36,836, down 7.9 percent from 2008 when de infwation-adjusted median househowd income was $40,008 (in 2013 dowwars). For comparison, on an infwation-adjusted basis, de median househowd income among metropowitan areas was $60,482, down 8.2 percent in de same period, and de nationaw median househowd income was $55,250, down 7.0 percent from 2008.[104] The city's weawf disparity is evident when neighborhoods are compared. Residents in Society Hiww had a 2013 median househowd income of $93,720, whiwe residents in one of Norf Phiwadewphia's districts reported de wowest median househowd income, $14,185.[104]

During de wast decade, Phiwadewphia experienced a warge shift in its age profiwe. In 2000, de city's popuwation pyramid had a wargewy stationary shape. In 2013, de city took on an expansive pyramid shape, wif an increase in de dree miwwenniaw age groups, 20 to 24, 25 to 29, and 30 to 34. The city's 25- to 29-year-owd age group was de city's wargest age cohort.[104] According to de 2010 Census, 343,837 (22.5%) were under de age of 18; 203,697 (13.3%) from 18 to 24; 434,385 (28.5%) from 25 to 44; 358,778 (23.5%) from 45 to 64; and 185,309 (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or owder. The median age was 33.5 years. For every 100 femawes, dere were 89.4 mawes. For every 100 femawes age 18 and over, dere were 85.7 mawes.[100] The city had 22,018 birds in 2013, down from a peak 23,689 birds in 2008. Phiwadewphia's deaf rate was at its wowest in at weast a hawf-century, 13,691 deads in 2013.[104] Anoder factor attributing to de popuwation increase is Phiwadewphia's rising immigration rate. Like de miwwenniaw popuwation, Phiwadewphia's immigrant popuwation is awso growing rapidwy; according to a study by de Pew Charitabwe Trusts, de city's foreign-born popuwation had increased by 69% between 2000 and 2016 to constitute nearwy 20% of Phiwadewphia's work force.[105]

Irish, Itawian, German, Powish, Engwish, Russian, Ukrainian and French are de wargest ednic European groups in de city.[103] Phiwadewphia has de second-wargest Irish and Itawian popuwations in de United States, after New York City. Souf Phiwadewphia remains one of de wargest Itawian neighborhoods in de country and is home to de Itawian Market. The Pennsport neighborhood and Gray's Ferry section of Souf Phiwadewphia, home to many Mummer cwubs, are weww known as Irish neighborhoods. The Kensington, Port Richmond, and Fishtown neighborhoods have historicawwy been heaviwy Irish and Powish. Port Richmond is weww known in particuwar as de center of de Powish immigrant and Powish-American community in Phiwadewphia, and it remains a common destination for Powish immigrants. Nordeast Phiwadewphia, awdough known for its Irish and Irish-American popuwation, is awso home to a warge Jewish and Russian popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Mount Airy in Nordwest Phiwadewphia awso contains a warge Jewish community, whiwe nearby Chestnut Hiww is historicawwy known as an Angwo-Saxon Protestant community.

Phiwadewphia has a significant gay and wesbian popuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Phiwadewphia's Gayborhood, which is wocated near Washington Sqware, is home to a warge concentration of gay and wesbian friendwy businesses, restaurants, and bars.[107][108]

The Bwack American popuwation in Phiwadewphia is de dird-wargest in de country, after New York City and Chicago. Historicawwy, West Phiwadewphia and Norf Phiwadewphia were wargewy bwack neighborhoods, but many are weaving dose areas in favor of de Nordeast and Soudwest sections of Phiwadewphia. There is a higher proportion of Muswims in de Bwack American popuwation dan most cities in America. West Phiwadewphia awso has significant Caribbean and African immigrant popuwations.[109]

The Puerto Rican popuwation in Phiwadewphia is de second-wargest after New York City, and de second-fastest growing after Orwando.[110] There are warge Puerto Rican and Dominican popuwations in Norf Phiwadewphia and de Nordeast, as weww as a significant Mexican popuwation in Souf Phiwadewphia.[111]

Phiwadewphia's annuawized unempwoyment rate was 7.8% in 2014, down from 10% de previous year.[104] This is higher dan de nationaw average of 6.2%. Simiwarwy, de rate of new jobs added to de city's economy wagged behind de nationaw job growf. In 2014, about 8,800 jobs were added to de city's economy. Sectors wif de wargest number of jobs added were in education and heawf care, weisure and hospitawity, and professionaw and business services. Decwines were seen in de city's manufacturing and government sectors.[104]

About 31.9% of de city's popuwation was not in de wabor force in 2015, de second highest percentage after Detroit. The city's two wargest empwoyers are de federaw and city governments. Phiwadewphia's wargest private empwoyer is de University of Pennsywvania fowwowed by de Chiwdren's Hospitaw of Phiwadewphia.[104] A study commissioned by de city's government in 2011 projected 40,000 jobs wouwd be added to de city widin 25 years, raising de number of jobs from 675,000 in 2010 to an estimated 715,000 by 2035.[131]

Phiwadewphia's history attracts many tourists, wif de Independence Nationaw Historicaw Park (which incwudes de Liberty Beww, Independence Haww, and oder historic sites) receiving over 5 miwwion visitors in 2016.[132] The city wewcomed 42 miwwion domestic tourists in 2016 who spent $6.8 biwwion, generating an estimated $11 biwwion in totaw economic impact in de city and surrounding four counties of Pennsywvania.[20]

The city's K-12 enrowwment in district run schoows dropped from 156,211 students in 2010 to 130,104 students in 2015. During de same time period, de enrowwment in charter schoows increased from 33,995 students in 2010 to 62,358 students in 2015.[104] This consistent drop in enrowwment wed de city to cwose 24 of its pubwic schoows in 2013.[135] During de 2014 schoow year, de city spent an average of $12,570 per pupiw, bewow de average among comparabwe urban schoow districts.[104]

Graduation rates among district-run schoows, meanwhiwe, steadiwy increased in de ten years from 2005. In 2005, Phiwadewphia had a district graduation rate of 52%. This number increased to 65% in 2014, stiww bewow de nationaw and state averages. Scores on de state's standardized test, de Pennsywvania System of Schoow Assessment (PSSA) trended upward from 2005 to 2011 but subseqwentwy decreased. In 2005, de district-run schoows scored an average of 37.4% on maf and 35.5% on reading. The city's schoows reached its peak scores in 2011 wif 59.0% on maf and 52.3% on reading. In 2014, de scores dropped significantwy to 45.2% on maf and 42.0% on reading.[104]

Higher education

Phiwadewphia has de dird-wargest student concentration on de East Coast, wif over 120,000 cowwege and university students enrowwed widin de city and nearwy 300,000 in de metropowitan area.[137] There are over 80 cowweges, universities, trade, and speciawty schoows in de Phiwadewphia region, uh-hah-hah-hah. One of de founding members of de Association of American Universities is in de city, de University of Pennsywvania, an Ivy League institution wif cwaims to being de owdest university in de country.[138]

Phiwadewphia has more pubwic art dan any oder American city.[156] In 1872, de Association for Pubwic Art (formerwy de Fairmount Park Art Association) was created as de first private association in de United States dedicated to integrating pubwic art and urban pwanning.[157] In 1959, wobbying by de Artists Eqwity Association hewped create de Percent for Artordinance, de first for a U.S. city.[158] The program, which has funded more dan 200 pieces of pubwic art, is administered by de Phiwadewphia Office of Arts and Cuwture, de city's art agency.[159]

Phiwadewphia has more muraws dan any oder U.S. city, danks in part to de 1984 creation of de Department of Recreation's Muraw Arts Program, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outwet for graffiti artists. The program has funded more dan 2,800 muraws by professionaw, staff and vowunteer artists and educated more dan 20,000 youf in underserved neighborhoods droughout Phiwadewphia.[160]

McGiwwin's Owde Awe House, opened in 1860 on Drury Street in Center City, is de owdest continuouswy operated tavern in de city.[175] The City Tavern is a repwica of a historic 18f-century buiwding first opened in 1773, demowished in 1854 after a fire, and rebuiwt in 1975 on de same site as part of Independence Nationaw Historicaw Park.[176] The tavern offers audentic 18f-century recipes, served in seven period dining rooms, dree wine cewwar rooms and an outdoor garden, uh-hah-hah-hah.[177]

The city's professionaw teams and deir fans endured 25 years widout a championship, from de 76ers 1983 NBA Finaws win[184] untiw de Phiwwies 2008 Worwd Series win, uh-hah-hah-hah.[185][186] The wack of championships was sometimes attributed in jest to de Curse of Biwwy Penn after One Liberty Pwace became de first buiwding to surpass de height of de Wiwwiam Penn statue on top of City Haww's tower in 1987.[187] After nine years passed widout anoder championship, de Eagwes won deir first Super Boww fowwowing de 2017 season, uh-hah-hah-hah.[188] In 2004, ESPN pwaced Phiwadewphia second on its wist of The Fifteen Most Tortured Sports Cities.[189][190] Fans of de Eagwes and Phiwwies were singwed out as de worst fans in de country by GQ magazine in 2011, which used de subtitwe of "Meanest Fans in America" to summarize incidents of drunken behavior and a history of booing.[191][192]

Major professionaw sports teams dat originated in Phiwadewphia but which water moved to oder cities incwude de Gowden State Warriors basketbaww team—in Phiwadewphia from 1946 to 1962[193]—and de Oakwand Adwetics basebaww team—originawwy de Phiwadewphia Adwetics from 1901 to 1954 (a different Adwetics team dan de one mentioned above).[194]

Law and government

From a governmentaw perspective, Phiwadewphia County is a wegaw nuwwity, as aww county functions were assumed by de city in 1952.[212] The city has been coterminous wif de county since 1854.[47]

Phiwadewphia's 1952 Home RuweCharter was written by de City Charter Commission, which was created by de Pennsywvania Generaw Assembwy in an act of Apriw 21, 1949, and a city ordinance of June 15, 1949. The existing city counciw received a proposed draft on February 14, 1951, and de ewectors approved it in an ewection hewd Apriw 17, 1951.[213] The first ewections under de new Home Ruwe Charter were hewd in November 1951, and de newwy ewected officiaws took office in January 1952.[212]

The city uses de strong-mayor version of de mayor–counciw form of government, which is wed by one mayor in whom executive audority is vested. The mayor has de audority to appoint and dismiss members of aww boards and commissions widout de approvaw of de city counciw. Ewected at-warge, de mayor is wimited to two consecutive four-year terms, but can run for de position again after an intervening term.[213]

Courts

The Phiwadewphia County Court of Common Pweas (de First Judiciaw District of Pennsywvania) is de triaw court of generaw jurisdiction for de city, hearing fewony-wevew criminaw cases and civiw suits above de minimum jurisdictionaw wimit of $10,000. The court awso has appewwate jurisdiction over ruwings from de Municipaw and Traffic Courts, and some administrative agencies and boards. The triaw division has 70 commissioned judges ewected by de voters, awong wif about one dousand oder empwoyees.[216] The court awso has a famiwy division wif 25 judges[217] and an orphans' court wif dree judges.[218]

The Phiwadewphia Municipaw Court handwes misdemeanor and fewony criminaw cases wif maximum incarceration of five years, and civiw cases invowving $12,000 or wess ($15,000 in reaw estate and schoow tax cases), and aww wandword-tenant disputes. The municipaw court has 27 judges ewected by de voters.[221]

Phiwadewphia Traffic Court is a court of speciaw jurisdiction dat hears viowations of traffic waws.[222] As wif magisteriaw district judges, de judges need not be wawyers, but must compwete de certifying course and pass de qwawifying examination administered by de Minor Judiciary Education Board.[223][224]

Crime

Powice Administration Buiwding (de Roundhouse) in Center City east of Chinatown

The powice districts wif de highest rates of viowent crime are Frankford (15f district) and Kensington (24f district) in de Near Nordeast, and districts to de Norf (22nd, 25f, and 35f districts), West (19f district) and Soudwest (12f district) of Center City.[104] Phiwadewphia had 525 murders in 1990, a rate of 31.5 per 100,000. An average of about 600 murders occurred each year for most of de 1990s. The murder count dropped in 2002 to 288, den rose to 406 by 2006, before dropping swightwy to 392 in 2007.[254] A few years water, Phiwadewphia began to see a rapid decwine in homicides and viowent crime. In 2013, de city had 246 murders, which is a decrease of nearwy 40% since 2006.[255] In 2014, 248 homicides were committed. The homicide rate rose to 280 in 2015, den feww swightwy to 277 in 2016, before rising again to 317 in 2017.[256]

In 2006, Phiwadewphia's homicide rate of 27.7 per 100,000 peopwe was de highest of de country's 10 most popuwous cities.[257] In 2012, Phiwadewphia had de fourf-highest homicide rate among de country's most popuwous cities. The rate dropped to 16 homicides per 100,000 residents by 2014 pwacing Phiwadewphia as de sixf-highest city in de country.[104]

In 2004, dere were 7,513.5 crimes per 200,000 peopwe in Phiwadewphia.[258] Among its neighboring mid-Atwantic cities in de same popuwation group, Bawtimore and Washington, D.C. were ranked second- and dird-most dangerous cities in de United States, respectivewy.[259]Camden, New Jersey, a city directwy across de Dewaware River from Center City, was ranked as de most dangerous city in de United States.[259]

The number of shootings in de city has decwined significantwy since de earwy years of de 21st century. Shooting incidents peaked at 1,857 in 2006 before decwining nearwy 44 percent to 1,047 shootings in 2014.[104] Major crimes have decreased graduawwy since a peak in 2006 when 85,498 major crimes were reported. The number of reported major crimes feww 11 percent in dree years to 68,815 occurrences in 2014. Viowent crimes, which incwude homicide, rape, aggravated assauwt, and robbery, decreased 14 percent in dree years to 15,771 occurrences in 2014.[104]

Phiwadewphia was ranked as de 76f most dangerous city in a 2018 report based on FBI data from 2016 for de rate of viowent crimes per 1,000 residents in American cities wif 25,000 or more peopwe.[260] The watest four years of reports indicate a steady reduction in viowent crime as de city pwaced 67f in de 2017 report,[261] 65f in 2016,[262] and 54f in 2015.[263]

In 2014, Phiwadewphia enacted in ordinance decriminawizing de possession of wess dan 30 grams of marijuana or 8 grams of hashish; de ordinance gave powice officers de discretion to treat possession of dese amounts as a civiw infraction punishabwe by a $25 ticket, rader dan a crime.[264][265] Phiwadewphia was at de time de wargest city to decriminawize marijuana.[265] From 2013 to 2018, marijuana arrests in de city dropped by more dan 85%.[264] The purchase or sawe of marijuana remains a criminaw offense in Phiwadewphia.[265]

Tewevision

In de 1930s, de experimentaw station W3XE, owned by Phiwco, became de first tewevision station in Phiwadewphia. The station became NBC's first affiwiate in 1939, and water became KYW-TV (currentwy a CBS affiwiate). WCAU-TV, WFIL-TV, and WHYY-TV were aww founded by de 1960s.[281] In 1952, WFIL (renamed WPVI) premiered de tewevision show Bandstand, which water became de nationawwy broadcast American Bandstand hosted by Dick Cwark.[289]

Beginning in de 1980s, warge sections of de SEPTA Regionaw Raiw service to de far suburbs of Phiwadewphia were discontinued due to a wack of funding for eqwipment and infrastructure maintenance.[295][296][297]

Wawk Score ranks

A 2017 study by Wawk Score ranked Phiwadewphia de fiff most wawkabwe major city in de United States wif a score of 79 out of 100, in de middwe of de "very wawkabwe" range. The city was just edged out by fourf pwace Miami (79.2), wif de top dree cities being New York, San Francisco, and Boston, uh-hah-hah-hah. Phiwadewphia pwaced fiff in de pubwic transit friendwy category, behind Washington, D.C., wif de same dree cities for wawkabiwity topping dis category. The city ranked tenf in de bike friendwy cities category, wif de top dree cities being Minneapowis, San Francisco and Portwand.[323]

Utiwities

In 1815, Phiwadewphia began sourcing its water via de Fairmount Water Works wocated on de Schuywkiww River, de nation's first major urban water suppwy system. In 1909, de Water Works was decommissioned as de city transitioned to modern sand fiwtration medods.[325] Today, de Phiwadewphia Water Department (PWD) provides drinking water, wastewater cowwection, and stormwater services for Phiwadewphia, as weww as surrounding counties. PWD draws about 57 percent of its drinking water from de Dewaware River and de bawance from de Schuywkiww River.[326] The city has two fiwtration pwants on de Schuywkiww River and one on de Dewaware River. The dree pwants can treat up to 546 miwwion gawwons of water per day, whiwe de totaw storage capacity of de combined pwant and distribution system exceeds one biwwion gawwons. The wastewater system consists of dree water powwution controw pwants, 21 pumping stations, and about 3,657 miwes (5,885 km) of sewers.[326]

Exewon subsidiary PECO Energy Company, founded as de Brush Ewectric Light Company of Phiwadewphia in 1881 and renamed Phiwadewphia Ewectric Company (PECO) in 1902, provides ewectricity to about 1.6 miwwion customers and more dan 500,000 naturaw gas customers in de soudeastern Pennsywvania area incwuding de city of Phiwadewphia and most of its suburbs.[327] PECO is de wargest ewectric and naturaw gas utiwity in de state wif 472 power substations and nearwy 23,000 miwes (37,000 km) of ewectric transmission and distribution wines, awong wif 12,000 miwes (19,000 km) of naturaw gas transmission, distribution & service wines.[328]

Phiwadewphia Gas Works (PGW), overseen by de Pennsywvania Pubwic Utiwity Commission, is de nation's wargest municipawwy-owned naturaw gas utiwity. PGW serves over 500,000 homes and businesses in de Phiwadewphia area.[329] Founded in 1836, de company came under city ownership in 1987 and has been providing de majority of gas distributed widin city wimits. In 2014, de City Counciw refused to conduct hearings on a $1.86 biwwion sawe of PGW, part of a two-year effort dat was proposed by de mayor. The refusaw wed to de prospective buyer terminating its offer.[330][331]

Soudeastern Pennsywvania was assigned de 215area code in 1947 when de Norf American Numbering Pwan of de Beww System went into effect. The geographic area covered by de code was spwit nearwy in hawf in 1994 when area code 610 was created, wif de city and its nordern suburbs retaining 215. Overway area code 267 was added to de 215 service area in 1997, and 484 was added to de 610 area in 1999. A pwan in 2001 to introduce a dird overway code to bof service areas (area code 445 to 215, area code 835 to 610) was dewayed and water rescinded.[332] Area code 445 was impwemented as an overway for area codes 215 and 267 starting on February 3, 2018.[333]

In 2005, a wow-cost, citywide Wi-Fi service was approved for instawwation in de city. Wirewess Phiwadewphia wouwd have been de first municipaw internet utiwity in a warge U.S. city, but de pwan was abandoned in 2008 as EardLink pushed back de compwetion date severaw times. Mayor Nutter's administration cwosed de project in 2009 after an attempt to revitawize it faiwed.[334]

Phiwadewphia has dedicated wandmarks to its sister cities. The Sister Cities Park, a site of 0.5 acres (2,400 sq yd) wocated at 18f and Benjamin Frankwin Parkway widin Logan Sqware, was dedicated in June 1976. The park was buiwt to commemorate Phiwadewphia's first two sister city rewationships, wif Tew Aviv and Fworence. The Toruń Triangwe, honoring de sister city rewationship wif Toruń, Powand, was constructed in 1976, west of de United Way buiwding at 18f Street and de Benjamin Frankwin Parkway. Sister Cities Park was redesigned and reopened in 2012, featuring an interactive fountain honoring Phiwadewphia's sister and partnership cities, a café and visitor's center, chiwdren's pway area, outdoor garden, and boat pond, as weww as a paviwion buiwt to environmentawwy friendwy standards.[347][348]

The Chinatown Gate, erected in 1984 and crafted by artisans of Tianjin, stands astride 10f Street, on de norf side of its intersection wif Arch Street, as a symbow of de sister city rewationship. The CDI of Phiwadewphia has participated in de U.S. Department of State's "Partners for Peace" project wif Mosuw, Iraq,[349] as weww as accepting visiting dewegations from dozens of oder countries.[350]

^Mean mondwy maxima and minima (i.e. de highest and wowest temperature readings during an entire monf or year) cawcuwated based on data at said wocation from 1981 to 2010.

^Officiaw temperature and precipitation measurements for Phiwadewphia were taken at de Weader Bureau Office in downtown from January 1872 to 19 June 1940, and at Phiwadewphia Int'w from 20 June 1940 to de present.[89] Snowfaww and snow depf records date to 1 January 1884 and 1 October 1948, respectivewy.[83] In 2006, snowfaww measurements were moved to Nationaw Park, New Jersey directwy across de Dewaware River from de airport.[90]

^E.g., in de opening chapter of The Handbook of Language Variation and Change (ed. Chambers et aw., Bwackweww 2002), J.K. Chambers writes dat "variationist sociowinguistics had its effective beginnings onwy in 1963, de year in which Wiwwiam Labov presented de first sociowinguistic research report"; de dedication page of de Handbook says dat Labov's "ideas imbue every page".

^Brownwee, David B.; Thomas, George E. (2000). Buiwding America's First University: An Historicaw and Architecturaw Guide to de University of Pennsywvania. Phiwadewphia: University of Pennsywvania Press. ISBN0812235150.